Here’s a belated link to this month’s Carnival of Islam in the West. Hosted by our worthy sister Samaha, the Carnival offers a wide range of reflections on a wide range of topics. Once again, the writing is excellent and enjoyable. You’ll also find two rather less worthy pieces by me!

At any rate, may Allah bless Samaha and all her hard work in putting this together.

This ninth edition of the Carnival of Islam in the West has just been published (by Fahad of Personal Quran). This month’s edition offers lots of tasty treats and delectable delights, all of which will tempt your reading tastebuds I’m sure. Articles range from issues of religion and worship through to poetry and political engagement. Insha Allah, there’s something for everyone, and it really does underline the point I made when I hosted the carnival a couple of months ago: there’s an amazing (and mostly hidden) wealth of creative talent among the Muslim communities of the west. Ma sha Allah.

Brother Fahad has also very helpfully appended a list of the previous editions, which I’ve cut-and-pasted here:

The 8th edition of the excellent Carnival of Islam in the West is now available over at Truth & Beauty (I hosted last month’s edition here). You’ll find a wide range of interesting articles, on all sorts of topics connected to Muslim life in the 21st century western world. You’ll even find two rather less worthy articles written by yours truly too. So, when you’e got a spare few moments, why not stroll on over there and check them out?

In a recent post, I wrote about the need for an Islamic approach to debate and discussion. Insha Allah, in the next few weeks or so, I’ll be offering some further thoughts on this important topic. However, for now, I’m going to be posting some Quranic ayat, hadith and sayings of the wise on this.

Here’s the first offering. Ya Allah! Help us all to reflect on our conduct.

The exercise of religious duties will not atone for the fault of an abusive tongue. A person cannot be a Muslim till his heart and tongue are so. (Taken from the Threshold Society website).

In a very famous hadith, the Messenger of God (alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam) is reported to have made the following profound statement:

‘Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up a bad deed with a good one, and it will erase it; and treat people with good character’ (recorded by Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Darami).

When I first heard this hadith, I was struck by its eloquent and profound simplicity. The words of a prophet indeed.

It is, perhaps, a truism to say that, as a Muslim, I should carry the Prophet’s words and example with me wherever I go, but of late, I’ve found myself thinking about these words more and more often.

In particular, I find it comes to mind when I’m surfing the Islamosphere. When doing this, I’m immediately struck by two things. Firstly, the dramatic rise in the number, volume and intensity of Muslim/Islamic blogs, etc. This is a good thing, and insha Allah, a hopeful sign of progress to come.

However, my second observation is that many of our debating practices are found wanting, when judged by the Prophet’s (alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam) standards. As is obvious to all, we are living in important and dramatic times: 9-11, 7-7, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Muslims in Britain, Islamophobia, etc, etc, etc. These issues have rightly grabbed the attention of all concerned Muslims (and non-Muslims). In many ways, the Muslim community is under pressure, as it attempts to find its feet in the 21st century world. We have an important role to play in that world. The real question before us, though, is: how are we going to meet these challenges? That is, how can we utilise the rich, profound, and deeply humane tradition that is Islam, in addressing these issues?

I don’t have the answers to such grand, and urgent questions. I don’t even have all the right questions. I do know one thing, though. We have to answer these questions with Islam. That is, we have to reach down inside ourselves and our faith and use its potential to the full. I’m not offering any slogans, nor am I offering a pie-in-the-sky utopia. Rather, I’m talking about the nuts and bolts of such an approach, built with Islam, from the ground up.

Here, in this specific context, we need to learn how to talk to one another, without falling into the same old tired rhetoric of nifaq (hypocrisy) and kufr (accusations of apostasy). This starts from the ground up in the way that we talk to others. Insha Allah, in the next few reflective posts, I aim to explore Islamic ideas of ethical approaches to dialogue.

The first step is to listen to the words of revelation, and the teachings of our Prophet (alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam). So, I’ll end this first post with the following advice from our beloved Master (alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam):

‘Whoever guards his tongue, Allah will conceal his faults. Whoever restrains his anger, Allah will withhold His punishment from him on the Day of Judgement. And whoever apologises to Allah [beseeching His forgiveness], Allah will accept that apology’ (recorded by Baihaqi)

Today is Yaum al-Arafah (the Day of Arafah), one of the most significant days in the Islamic calendar. Today is the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam. Given the day’s importance, I wanted to bring together a number of scattered posts together. May Allah make them useful.

Welcome

'Don't be more than others. So I urge my heart.
Go be a salve of kindness - make no one sting
If you would have no other do you harm
Bite no back - do no bad deed - keep no bad thought'

(Mevlana, Quatrain 993)

Wherever We Set Foot

'Wherever we set foot, it was Your street.
Whatever corner we turned, it was Your name in the air.
We said, ‘Surely there must be a road leading elsewhere?’
But every road we found, it led to You'
Isma`il Anqarawi

The Deeper That Sorrow Carves

'The deeper that sorrow carves into your being,
the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup
that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit
the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
(Khalil Gibran, The Prophet)

A Short Prayer

We give thanks for the light under which we gather. For our Pir, Hazrati Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, and for the generations of seekers and guides that have come before us.

We pray for the health and well-being of everyone in this circle: our families, our children, our children's children, our friends, our
communities, and our world.

And we mention at this time anyone in need of healing. And may the light of this circle be received wherever it's needed.

By the breath of Mevlana, by the secret of Shamsi Tabriz, by the noble
generosity of Imam Ali, and with the blessings of Muhammad Mustafa, (our unlettered Prophet), let us say Huuuu. . . .

O Lord, Give Me Strength…

O Lord, give me strength to walk on the road of Unity.
Give me a yearning for the secret place of freedom.
Grant me an affection for the mystery of Truth.
Grant me freedom from the bondage of imitation.

Fayz Fayyazi

The Golden Words of Haci Bektas Veli

* Keep on searching, you’ll find the truth.
* Be patient in your spiritual quest.
* Whatever you seek, look within.
* Control your tongue, your hands and your sexual behavior.
* Being a teacher is to give, not to take.
* The greatest book to read is the human being.
* The universe is for man, and man for the universe.
* Any road that doesn’t follow science, ends in darkness.
* Science illuminates the paths of truth.
* Blessed are those who illuminate the darkness by their thoughts and ideas.
* Don’t hurt anyone, even though you’ve been hurt.
* Don’t ask anyone for anything that would be difficult for you to do.
* Don’t blame any nation or individual.
* The beauty of human beings is the beauty of their words.
* Don’t forget that even your enemy is human.
* Educate your daughters.

The First of All Commandments

‘And Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all commandments is, hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second commandment is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these’ (Mark 12:29-31)

That’s Why I Came

Let's say it with just one breath:
How can we ever say it more plain?
Let's dive into the ocean of love.
To dive into that ocean,
that's why I came.

Shah Hatayi

There You Are, by Asik Veysel

I hide Your beauty in my eye;
Whatever I look at,
There You are.

I hide Your presence in my heart;
How could a stranger live there?
There You are.

You are my foundation and my all;
My intimate one and the word on my tongue;
You bring the greeting from my darling one;
Within that greeting,
There You are.

All the blossoms and tender leaves
They hide their beauty in reds and greens
In night’s darkness and the dawn’s first beams.
As each one awakens,
There You are.

You are the one who made creation,
who gave life and strength to every being.
There is no ending except for You
I believe and accept what I am seeing:
There You are.

The flute moans ‘Huuu’ in ecstasy
The waves are roaring, the seas are rushing,
The sun appears to veil the stars
In its rays’ vast shining,
There You are.

You are the one who makes Veysel speak;
You are the tree and I am your leaf.
The unconscious fly right by what they seek.
In both the fruit and seed,
There You are.

Whoever Is Our Enemy

Whoever is our enemy,
May Allah him give great gain!
May he be given clemency!
May he all his goals attain!
Whoever’s tossed us in a pit,
May God protect forever!
Who tosses stones at us to hit,
May might embrace his endeavor!
Whoever’s prayed for us to die,
May eternal life suffice!
Whoever’s said in hell we’d fry,
May his abode be Paradise!
Whoever slanders us with words,
May the Prophet intercede!
Whoever defames Kaygusuz,
May vision of God be guaranteed!

‎'The sum total of our life is a breath spent in the company of the Beloved' Abu Sa`id ibn Abi al-Khayr

Rejoice, O Love!

'Rejoice, O Love, that is our sweetest passion,
physician of our many illnesses!
Relief from our pomposity and boasting,
O You who are our Plato and our Galen!
For Love the earthly body soared to heaven,
the mountain tool to dancing and to skipping.
When Love approached Mount Sinai's soul, O lover,
Sinai was drunk and 'Moses fell aswoon'
(Masnavi 1. 23-26)

The Mevlevi Rose Prayer

May this moment be blessed. May goodness be opened and may evil be dispelled. May our humble plea be accepted in the Court of Honour; May the Most Glorious God purify and fill our hearts with the Light of His Greatest Name. May the hearts of the lovers be opened. By the breath of our master Mevlana, by the secret of Shams and Weled, by the holy light of Muhammad, by the generosity of Imam Ali, and the intercession of Muhammad, the unlettered prophet, mercy to all the worlds. May we say Hu, Huuu…
.